Shipping-crate.



N. H. CARTER. SHIPPING CRATE. APPLICATION PILE!) JUNE 22, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IIIIII fllllllgglgll 0 E@ rA W/TESSES N. H. CARTER.

SHIPPING CRATE. PPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 22, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NETE@ STATE PATENT FFQFQ.

NICHOLAS H. CARTER, OF BOISE, IDAHO.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

To all alom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS H. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boise, in the county of Ada and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of t-he invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in shipping crates and more particularly to that class adapted to be used for shipping eggs or similar perishable 4articles and my object is to provide a device of this class which may be folded together when empty for re-shipping purposes.

A further object is to provide means for securely locking the folding parts of the crate in their assembled positions when being used for shipping purposes and a still further objectis to provide a suitable rack for parts of the interlocking mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be here inafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a per spective view showing the crate in its knocked-down or folded posit-ion. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view therethrough. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the crate in its folded position. Fig. 4; is a similar view of the crate in its assembled position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the crate in its assembled position. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the crate in its assembled position, and, Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one side wall and end portion of the crate, showing the manner of interlocking the side and end walls together.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the floor of the crate, which is provided at its ends with end flanges 2 and along its edges with flanges 3 and l, the end flanges 2 being adapted to support end walls 5, which walls are secured to the flanges by means of hinges 6, while the side flanges 3 and 4 have mounted thereon side walls 7 and 8, respectively, said side walls Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 22, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1919.

serial No. 503,715.

being attached to the lflanges 3 and Ll by means of hinges 9.

The end walls are so arranged as to rest between the side walls when the crate is in its assembled position and in order to securely lock said side and end walls in their vertical positions and thus produce a rigid crate, the end walls are provided with straps 10, each end of the straps having a socket 11 thereon which is of less length than the width of the straps, the sockets being adapted to extend between a pair of auxiliary sockets 12, on the ends of the auxiliary straps 13 carried by the side walls 7 and 8.

After the sockets 11 have been properly registered with the auxiliary sockets 12, they are interlocked together by means of pins 14, which pins are of sutlicient length to extend through the auxiliary sockets and the main socket positioned between the auxiliary sockets, the upper ends of the pins having heads 15 thereon which hold the pins in position in the sockets. As the pins 14: are liable to become lost when reshipping the crate, as said pins are removed from the sockets, l provide means for carrying the pins, which consists of a bracket 16, which is preferably secured to one of the end walls, said bracket having a plurality of pockets 17 into which the pins are introduced when not in use, the pins fitting said pockets with sufficient snugness as to prevent them from readily leaving the pockets, thereby preserving the pin while the crate is being reshipped.

The floor 1 is provided at its longitudinal center with a flange 1S, on which rests,when the crate is in its assembled position, a partition 19, which divides the crate into compartments, said partition resting upon the floor of the crate when said crate is in its knocked-down position.

The crate is also provided with a cover 20, the anges 21 of which are adapted to telescope over the side and end ianges when the crate is in its folded position and over the upper edges of the side and end walls when the crate is in its assembled position, the inner lower edges 22 of the iianges 21 being preferably tapered so that they will readily telescope over the parts with which they coperate, the end anges 21 bein@ provided with hooks 23, which are adapted to engage eyes 24: attached to the end flanges 2 when the crate is'in its folded position and with similar eyes 25 on the end walls 5 when the crate is in its assembled position, thereby holding the cover securely over the parts of the crate when in its assembled or knocked-down position.

ln folding the parts of the crate together, the pins le; are first removed from the sockets 1l and l2 and introduced into the pockets 17, after which the end walls 5 are swung inwardly and downwardly to a horizontal position, when the side wall 7 is folded inwardly and downwardly7 and over the end walls, after which the side wall 8 is folded inwardly and downwardly and onto the side wall '7, the flange d being higher than the flange 3 to permit the side walls T and 8 to overlap each other as described. After this is accomplished, the cover is placed in position over the folded parts and the hooks engaged with the eyes 2li, when the crate is ready for reshipment.

in re-assembling the parts of the crate, the cover 2O is lirst removed and the side and end walls raised to their elevated positions, when the sockets ll. are introduced between the auxiliary sockets l2 and the pins H then entered through the sockets, which will securely lock the side and end walls in their assembled positions and after the crate has been illed, the cover 2O is to be again introduced over the upper edges of the side and end walls and secured thereover by introducing the hooks 23 into engagement with the eyes Q5, when the crate is ready for shipment.

That I claim is:

il shipping crate comprising a fioormember having longitudinal lateral flanges and end flanges, side members hinged to said longitudinal lianges and end members hinged to said end flanges and straps applied to said side and end members upon the innerI surfaces orp said members, the straps ot said side and end members having interlitting sockets and pintles engaging said sockets, said straps being applied to the inner surfaces of said side members and said end members, near their upper ends, and a closure engaging the upper ends of said side and end members, one orp said side flanges having its upper longitudinal edge arranged in plane extending above that of the upper edge of the opposite side liange.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NICHOLAS H. CARTER.

Witnesses lV. Sco'rT NEAL, VERA HoUeHToN. 

